Orlando Antigua Associate Head Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Orlando Antigua Associate Head Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Illinois forward Will Riley has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, as announced by the conference office on Monday. Riley shares this week's accolade with Derek Queen from Maryland.
Riley led his team in two games last week, averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 6.0 rebounds. He shot 51.5% from the field, including 44.4% from beyond the arc and an impressive 87.5% from the free-throw line.
In a standout performance against Minnesota, Riley scored a game-high 27 points while matching his career-best nine rebounds and setting a new personal record with seven assists during their victory. Remarkably, he became the first NCAA freshman since the 1996-97 season to achieve at least 27 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists without committing a turnover in a single game.
During that match against Minnesota, Riley made a career-high of 11 field goals out of 17 attempts and scored 19 of his total points in the second half alone. Earlier in the week at Rutgers, he recorded a team-high of 18 points along with six assists.
This recognition marks Riley's third Big Ten Freshman of the Week award this season and his second consecutive honor. Last week he was acknowledged for averaging 20 points against Ohio State and Nebraska; earlier in the season, he received recognition after breaking Illinois' freshman debut scoring record with 31 points against Eastern Illinois.
The Illini will next face UCLA on Tuesday at State Farm Center at 7 p.m., with tickets available through FightingIllini.com.
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